showing 9 related works from this author
Exotic Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Invading Mediterranean Europe: a Brief Summary over About 200 Years of Documented Introductions
2019
Exotic ants have emerged as a relevant topic worldwide because of their remarkable impacts on native ecosystems and human activities. A first regional overview is given on the dozens of exotic ant species recorded in Mediterranean Europe since the end of the 19th century. About 39 exotic ant species, belonging to 17 genera and originating from 5 different biogeographical realms, are currently believed to be established in this region. The genera Nylanderia and Tetramorium are those hosting the larger proportion of species, while the Afrotropical realm is the prevalent source of taxa. According to the available data, France, Greece, Italy and Spain all host a high number of exotic species, w…
Yet another alien: a second species of Lepisiota spreading across the Canary Islands, Spain (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
2018
The Canary Islands are a biologically important archipelago hosting many unique species, whose myrmecofauna is peculiarly rich in both endemic and introduced species. Lepisiota frauenfeldi cfr. kantarensis Forel, 1911 is reported for the first time from Fuerteventura and Tenerife. It is the second species of Lepisiota introduced in the archipelago in the last few years, and one of the few documented cases in which Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr, 1855) s.l. acts as a successful tramp species. Comments are also given on taxonomic problems involving the L. frauenfeldi-group and related taxa. Finally, new additional information and comments are presented on the distribution of other alien ants spe…
Three endemic Aphaenogaster from the Siculo-Maltese archipelago and the Italian Peninsula: part of a hitherto unrecognized species group from the Mag…
2019
Abstract More than 100 years ago, the Italian myrmecologist Carlo Emery described two endemic Sicilian ants: Aphaenogaster sicula Emery, 1908, which he originally considered a subspecies of A. crocea André, 1881, and A. fiorii Emery, 1915 stat. nov., which he believed was a subspecies of A. gibbosa (Latreille, 1798). Males of the two species and the queen of A. fiorii were never described. The scarcity of information contained in the original description led to several misunderstandings by subsequent authors: for example, A. sicula was later elevated to species-rank on the basis of misidentified material of A. fiorii stat. nov. We redescribe the two species, adding the descriptions of their…
Rediscovery of the enigmatic solifuges (Arachnida: Solifugae) at Lampedusa Island (Italy)
2018
Solifuges were recorded in Italy for the first time in 1956, on the island of Lampedusa (Strait of Sicily), and classified as Biton ehrenbergi Karsch, 1880 and Biton velox Simon, 1885. More than 60 years later, we carried out the first targeted investigation of these little-known animals. A survey conducted during both spring and autumn 2017 confirmed the presence of solifuges on Lampedusa Island. We identified all specimens as B. velox and not B. ehrenbergi. We concluded that B. ehrenbergi is absent from the island, on the basis of both newly collected data and a re-evaluation of the past records. Morphology and taxonomic position of the examined specimens are discussed in light of the unr…
New distributional data for the Mediterranean medicinal leech Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 (Hirudinea, Hirudinidae) in Italy, with a note on its feedi…
2021
Author(s): Marrone, Federico; Alfonso, Giuseppe; Barbagallo, Rosario; Brandmayr, Pietro; Bruni, Giacomo; Costa, Simone; Farina, Giovanni; Gerecke, Reinhard; Iannarelli, Angelina; Mazza, Giuseppe; Mazzei, Antonio; Menchetti, Mattia; Moretti, Valerio; Mori, Emiliano; Novaga, Riccardo; Pecoraro, Marco; Schifani, Enrico; Stoch, Fabio; Vecchioni, Luca | Abstract: Scarce data are currently available about the distribution of the Mediterranean medicinal leech Hirudo verbana in Italy, and most of the known occurrence localities are based on records collected in the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, which were not confirmed in the last decades, mostly due to a lack of surveys. …
Spermophora senoculata on Sicily/Italy (Araneae: Pholcidae)
2019
The pholcid spider Spermophora senoculata (Duges, 1836) is recorded for the first time on the Mediterranean Island of Sicily (Italy) from indoor heated and non-heated habitats of two cities. This species is associated with mostly anthropogenic habitats around the globe. Uncertainty remains about where its native distribution range is located.
First record of the vulnerable social parasite ant Plagiolepis grassei in Italy (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
2017
The first Italian records of the rare parasitic ant species Plagiolepis grassei Le Masne, 1956 are here reported. This species is considered as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN’s Red List, and was previously recorded from France and Spain only.
Los foros y las redes sociales ayudan a descubrir especies exóticas en Europa y monitorear su propagación: el caso de Exaireta spinigera (Wiedemann, …
2018
La mosca soldado Exaireta spinigera (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera, Stratiomyidae) es originaria de Australia y se introdujo en Hawái, América del Norte y se está extendiendo rápidamente por Europa. Comentamos el conocimiento sobre su presencia en Italia y publicamos los primeros registros de Sicilia. El conocimiento existente sobre la llegada y distribución de esta especie en Italia se fundamenta exclusivamente en datos proporcionados por ciudadanos a través de foros de internet y grupos de Facebook sobre biodiversidad, que así han demostrado ser una ayuda útil para la difícil detección de especies invasoras.
Different lineages of freshwater jellyfishes (Cnidaria, Olindiidae, Craspedacusta) invading Europe: another piece of the puzzle from Sicily, Italy
2018
Correctly identifying and mapping the distribution patterns of passively dispersing freshwater organisms is an important task to understand the mechanisms through which these organisms move across the world and to counteract the introduction of invasive alien species in a timely way; moreover, in the light of the growing evidence of the pervasiveness of cryptic species and cryptic biological invasions among all animal groups, the use of molecular identification tools is strongly advisable. In this context, we present the first record of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester, 1880 in the Mediterranean island of Sicily, Italy. This invasive species, native to China, was fo…